Post-bank holiday blues is often made better here at road.cc Towers when we get to see what test gear has landed when arriving back in the office on Monday! Here are some of our highlights from the past couple of weeks...

This clever carrier can fit two bikes and has a max load limit of 50kg, with load and unload times of a claimed 30 seconds. The patented wheel hook system to secure your bike means that nothing touches your frame in transit, and it has a full cable locking system which allows both bike and carrier to locked directly to the vehicle. The rear wheel ratchet system with a long strap can fit up to 3″ tires, so pretty much any bike will fit. Check out the review coming soon when it's returned from its travels... auxtail.com

Does the humble tyre lever need reinventing? Yorkshire-based TyreKey have done just that with their nifty invention, with a double groove that "glides round the rim to lift the tyre off with ease". The claw shape is purported to reinstall the tyre with touching the inner tube, so there's no chance of puncturing it before you've even got going again. It's designed to work best with road tyres from 18-35mm. Does it make regular levers fall flat in comparison? Mike Stead's review is due shortly...tyrekey.com

The Quest 11 is new this year, and designed to be a nippy urban commuter. The drivetrain is 1x11 (hence the name) for simplicity, with a 42t chainring and 11/32 cassette to give you plenty of easy gears for hills. Shimano Ultegra shifters and a carbon fork makes this bike seem like very good value for money, but does it ride as well as it sounds on paper? claudbutler.co.uk

These new 350g integrated handlebars now have full internal cable routing and a simple and easy mounting process for Di2 systems under the stem, and you also get a specially made Garmin mount thrown in for good meausure (you'd hope so for the price). It has specially designed aero spacers and a new topcap, and Deda say the bars have been refined at every stage to make them as aero as possible without sacrificing comfort. Are they worth the lofty price tag? Stu Kerton's verdict is imminent...chickencyclekit.co.uk

40 quid for mitts? That's what you'll pay for these summer options from Assos, "created to excel in taxing summer conditions and maintain grip and control while protecting your palms" according to the Swiss brand. 'Intelligent padding' that dampens vibrations features on the underside, with mesh panels between the fingers for a light and agile fit. George Hill is wearing them while the weather's still appropriate, with his verdict due shortly.assos.com

For all the latest road.cc test reports, head over to our reviews section. If you're in need of some more advice before splashing the cash, check out our buyer's guides.

After cobbling together a few hundred quid during his student days off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story), Jack bought his first road bike at the age of 20 and has been hooked ever since. He joined road.cc in 2017, having previously worked for 220 Triathlon magazine. Jack's preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking (the latter being another long story), and on Sunday afternoons he can often be found on an M5 service station indulging in his favourite post-race meal of 20 chicken nuggets, a sausage roll, caramel shortbread and a large strawberry milkshake.